I appreciate you being so prompt and helping us out on this order. I look forward to doing business with you again next time.

- T.B., Indian Trail, NC (Posted 12/12)

Thanks for the fast service, will definitely use you guys in the future and recommend you to others.

- J.E., Brownsville, PA (Posted 4/12)

I just wanted to say thank you very much. I am very happy with my order.

- J.O., Cape Coral, FL (Posted 11/12)

Real nice quality of bears. Extremely pleased with the bears and the order process and fast arrival. I will for sure be a repeat customer.

- D.E., Many, LA (Posted 9/13)

I just received the bears. They look great. I am already generating interest. I will be in touch for future orders.

- J.R., Gainesville, FL (Posted 4/12)

I just wanted to send you a BIG THANK YOU!! The bears arrived safely here first thing this morning. I couldn’t have asked for anything better and appreciate all the time you spent on our order! The children will love them!

- A.J., Ontario, Canada (Posted 11/11)

Thank you for being so on top of your business! The plushes arrived right when you said they would. They were great quality and the kids absolutely loved them! Thank you!!

- R.A., Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Posted 6/11)

I wanted to thank you for the order. I regret that this thank you is so late. In addition, I wanted to tell you that this merchandise looks awesome. The smiles and joy that this will bring to them will create a life memory.

- L.K., Catlettsburg, KY (Posted 8/10)

Dear Sir, ...The bears are beautiful, huggable, and just perfect for our "Hugs for Haitians"

- H.C. Temple, TX (Posted 2/10)

Thanks so much. You have been wonderful to work with. I will recommend you to anyone who needs help with plush animals. Like I said before, the quality far exceeded my expectations and the price was terrific.

A Brief History

The Southern Homecoming Mum and its Forerunners

At Plush in a Rush, we are a leading manufacturer of wholesale homecoming mum supplies. We feel it is our duty to explain briefly what a homecoming mum is for all of our customers who venture onto our homecoming mum supply pages...

The chrysanthemum was first grown in the Far East - China - as a flowering herb and was first written about by scribes over 3,500 years ago. Their artwork shows mums as they would appear today in fact. Folklore teaches that the boiled roots were taken as a headache medicine and ancient culinarians used sprouts and petals in salads. Sometimes, the leaves were brewed for recreational purposes. The ancient Chinese name for chrysanthemum is "Chu." The Chinese city of Chu-Hsien (which means Chrysanthemum City) is an eponym of the flower.

Then 2,800 years ago, the chrysanthemum appeared in Japan. So enamored with the mum, that the Japanese decreed that the flower would be the crest and seal of the Emperor. Family seals for prominent Japanese families of nobility also contain some type of mum called a Kikumon - "Kiku" means chrysanthemum and "Mon" means crest. In Japan, the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum is the most elite Order of Chivalry. Japan also has a mum festival, which is called the Festival of Happiness.

The chrysanthemum was first introduced to the west during some 250 years ago. In 1753 Karl Linnaeus, the famous botanist from binomial nomenclature fame, combined the Greek words chrysos, meaning gold with anthemon, meaning flower.Botanical archaeologists say this is probably a true description of the ancient flower, as it also points out the mum's need for sunlight. The earliest depictions of mums show them as small, yellow daisy-like flowers.

The chrysanthemum was first introduced into the United States during colonial times. Three hundred years later, its popularity has grown such that mums now reign as undisputed "Queen of the Fall Flowers."

For many of us in the South, and for virtually all Texans, our introduction to the chrysanthemum was a corsage for the girlfriends and mothers at Homecoming football games. The pictures below are some examples of modern-day mums.

Today, the silk flower has replaced the chrysanthemum as the centerpiece for homecoming mums, and now you can find them decorated with dozens of charms, ribbons, bells, and even the occasional high school mascot. Plush in Rush offers several unique items that can make your homecoming mum a high school favorite.

A notable difference of the positive feelings many Americans have of the mum (football games, house-warming presents, get-well thoughts), is that in many European countries the chrysanthemum is known as the death flower. In countries such as Belgium and Austria, the mum is used almost exclusively as a memorial on graves.